The education section seems simple — but it's one of the most commonly misformatted parts of a resume. Where you place it, what you include, and how you format it all affect both ATS parsing and recruiter perception. Here's how to get it right.

Where to place the education section

For freshers and recent graduates (under 2 years of experience): put Education above Work Experience. Your degree is your strongest signal at this stage. For experienced professionals (2+ years): put Education below Experience. Recruiters care most about your recent work history. For career changers: placement depends on whether your education supports the new field — if it does, move it up. See The Best Resume Layouts for profile-specific section ordering.

What to include in the education section

• Degree name: Full name (e.g., Bachelor of Technology, Master of Business Administration)
• Field of study: Computer Science, Marketing, Finance, etc.
• Institution name: Full official name of the university or college
• Location: City, State/Country (optional for well-known institutions)
• Graduation year: Year only, or Month + Year
• CGPA/Grade: Include only if it's strong (above 7.5/10 or equivalent). Never include a weak grade.

What NOT to include

• High school education (if you have a university degree) — remove it after 2+ years
• Coursework lists for experienced professionals — only relevant for freshers with specific projects
• Graduation photos or personal details
• Weak CGPA scores — if it's below 6.5/10, just omit the number

Format example — experienced professional

Bachelor of Engineering — Computer Science
Delhi Technological University, New Delhi
2018 – 2022 · CGPA: 8.2/10

Format example — fresher with relevant coursework

Bachelor of Science — Data Science
Christ University, Bangalore · 2021 – 2024 · CGPA: 8.7/10
Relevant Coursework: Machine Learning, Statistical Analysis, Python for Data Science, Big Data Technologies

Adding certifications to the education section

Short online certifications (Google, Coursera, LinkedIn Learning) can be added to the Education section or as a separate Certifications section below it. Include: certification name, issuing organization, and year. For freshers, certifications in your target field are highly valuable — see our fresher resume guide for more on this.

ATS and the education section

ATS scans your education section for degree keywords and institution names. Use the full degree name (not abbreviations like "BTech" — use "Bachelor of Technology"). Run your resume through CV Chackr to check that your education section is being parsed correctly.